Spanning the Globes, SAG Awards

There weren’t many surprises duringthis year’s Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awardsnominations, but there were some interesting tidbits,from a cable-industry perspective.

If you had to bet which cable network would receivethe most Golden Globe and SAG nominations for originalscripted programming, most people would have pickedHBO, FX or AMC.

This year, though, that distinction goes to Showtime.The pay service garnered 12 combined Golden Globe andSAG nominations for scripted series Nurse Jackie, Dexter,The Big C and The United States of Tara.

It was great to see new scripted cable series The WalkingDead, The Big C and Boardwalk Empire get some recognition— no new broadcast-network show earned aGlobe or SAG nomination — but it was disappointing to see othernew series like HBO’s Tremé ignored by Golden Globe voters.

It’s hard to believe that Bryan Cranston received his first Golden Globenomination for his leading role as a meth-producing high school teacherWalt White on AMC’s Breaking Bad. Maybe his recent Emmywin in the same category had something to do with it.

Cable’s programming diversity was also recognized withthe Golden Globe nomination for African-American actorIdris Elba for his work as a gritty detective in BBC America’spsychological thriller mini-series Luther and EdgarRamirez for his portrayal of Venezuelan revolutionary IlichRamírez Sánchez in Sundance Channel’s Carlos.

The most interesting Screen Actors Guild nominationwas for 88-year old Betty White, who earned a best comedyactress nod for her lead character in TV Land’s inauguralscripted series Hot in Cleveland.

Kyra Sedgwick copped both Globe and SAG nominationsfor best drama actress and her TNT show, The Closer, earneda much deserved SAG nomination for best drama series.

While earning a Globes or SAG nomination isn’t the same as winningan actual award, the cable industry’s more than 65 combinedGolden Globe and SAG Awards nominations shows that cable networkscontinue to produce the most innovative programming.